


Date Night

by Retr0



Series: A Thief's Legacy [3]
Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Bar, Cute, Drama, Food, Gay, Love, M/M, Memories, Romance, date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-06 05:07:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11593560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Retr0/pseuds/Retr0
Summary: After a bad day at the office, Rafe wanted nothing more than to have a quiet night at home, completely forgetting about his planned date night with Nate. However, nothing can stop Rafe from enjoying a good burger and a cold beer.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I must apologize a hundred times. It took me a lot longer to get this work finished for several reasons: one, I've been so busy at work that my creative juices stopped flowing. Two, I've been working on an ever-expanding backlog of video games. And lastly, I had a helluva hard time figuring out where I wanted to take this. Do I add drama? Do I keep it cute? Should Rafe do karaoke? All good questions! This work is part one of two and I promise (seriously, I promise) that part two will come a lot faster than this one did. As in, a matter of a day or two...or three. No more than three. Enjoy!

“I don’t care what the problem is,” Rafe spoke aggressively into his smartphone, “I care about results. Get to the root of the issue and rectify it!”

Nathan watched as Rafe closed the front door behind him, loosened his tie, kicked off his shoes, and made his way into the kitchen. With his interest piqued, Nathan closed his laptop and set it on the coffee table, leaning diagonally to peek into the kitchen, to no avail. He stood from the chocolate brown leather couch, crept to the archway leading from the small corridor into the kitchen, and poked his head through.

Rafe stood at the island counter, his back to Nathan, and prepared himself a drink. He held his phone by his shoulder, his head tilted to balance the device properly. He dropped a couple of ice cubes into a rocks glass, followed by a generous pour of whiskey, and took a sip. Rafe held his phone in his hand once more and slammed his other down onto the counter.

“I already left the office for the day—must I do everything myself? Why weren’t the KPIs developed last week as I requested?”

Nathan knew better than to try to console Rafe while he was in mid-argument and retreated back to his spot on the couch, but stopped short when he heard Rafe call his name. He turned on his heel and hesitantly walked back into the kitchen. “You bellowed?”

“Not you, you blithering idiot—I know your name isn’t Nathan,” he scowled. “Listen, details of your incompetence do not interest me. I want the report on my desk by Monday or heads will roll, and I—no, not literally you—never mind. Goodbye!”

Rafe angrily pressed the end call button on the screen multiple times and pocketed his phone.

“Are you all right?” Nathan asked, worried.

Rafe laughed. “I wish that was landline call just so I could have slammed the phone back onto the receiver.” Rafe turned and faced Nathan, his drink held firmly in his hand. “How was your day, handsome?”

Nathan smiled and moved closer to Rafe, putting his hands on his waist and offering a consoling kiss. “It was great. How was yours?”

“Miserable,” he chuckled, “I don’t want to talk about it. Tell me about yours—anything interesting down at the docks?”

“Actually, yes,” Nathan smiled. “We were offered a contract involving the removal of waste, toxins, and debris from Lake Pontchartrain as part of the revitalization project. Get this—the contract deal is $300,000 and it’s ours as long as we guarantee completion within seven months, and that’s more than enough time with the new Bravo Team we hired last month.”

Rafe listened attentively to Nathan’s wonderful news and took notice of how passionate he was about his work; Nathan never really seemed to have miserable days. Rafe could recall several times when Nathan came home upset about a deal falling through or a recovery gone wrong, but he never seemed frustrated or infuriated. It was something truly admirable and Rafe took great solace in knowing how happy Nathan is with his job.

“Three hundred thousand dollars,” Rafe echoed. “That’s seriously impressive; I didn’t know the work could ever pay that high. Is it all set in stone?”

Nathan nodded. “Elena finalized the paperwork this afternoon—she just forwarded me the documents as you walked through the door.”

“How is she, anyway?” Rafe asked, remarkably curious. After all the time that he and Nathan had been together, he had never actually met the famous Elena Fisher.

“She’s doing well. She actually has a date with Sam tonight, if you can believe it.”

“Sam?” Rafe asked, “As in your brother?”

Nathan nodded. “The very same.”

“You mean, the same brother of yours who once told you that ‘Rafe’s ass deserves a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame’ and ‘Man if Rafe wasn’t with you, I’d be all over that’ and…”

“Yeah, I get it—that Sam,” Nathan interrupted, rolling his eyes at the memories. “He isn’t inherently gay, Rafe. He just isn’t prejudiced to intimacy.”

Rafe laughed. “I wouldn’t call wanting to ‘fuck me until I can’t walk straight’ intimate. I always wondered why you were so…shy, and then I met your brother. It’s fairly obvious that he’s the one with no shame in his game.”

“Hey, I am not shy,” Nathan protested. “It’s just that sex to me is different than it is to Sam.”

“You don’t need to be defensive; I’m not comparing the two of you. Quite honestly, your brother isn’t really my type—I feel like he and I would clash…a lot. With you, you understand me and respect my limits—you never once expect me to step out of my comfort zone or pressure me into anything.”

Nathan shrugged his shoulders. “It’s because I love you. I know what you like, what you dislike, what you love, and what you loathe. I don’t have anything to gain by forcing you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“No, but you do make suggestions and offer your insight and what I like the most about that is you lay the cards on the table and allow me to choose for myself.” Rafe finished off his drink and kissed Nathan, holding him with a hand on the back of his neck. “It means a lot.”

“You’re welcome,” Nathan smiled. “Are we still on for tonight, or did you want to stay in?”

Rafe raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

Nathan frowned. “You don’t remember? It’s date night.”

“Fuck,” Rafe closed his eyes tight, “I forgot.”

“It’s okay; we can just stay home and figure something out. It’s not a big deal.”

Rafe watched as Nathan started down the corridor toward the living room. He caught up with him and grabbed his hand. “No, it’s not okay. I’m sorry—it’s just that with the day I had today, I didn’t really have the time to remember anything outside of work. We can still have our date night—I know you had your heart set on it.”

Nathan smiled. “You should change—you’re overdressed.”

Rafe raised an eyebrow. “Why, where…” He stopped himself, knowing well enough where they were going. “Muldoon’s?”

Nathan winked. “It’s still early, so there’s no rush. It doesn’t usually get busy on Fridays until after eight o’clock anyway.”

Rafe watched him disappear back into the living room before heading upstairs to their bedroom. Rafe sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Truth be told, he was never really a fan of their date nights unless it involved staying home. Rafe wasn’t an inherently social person, especially considering the fact that their date nights always happened to fall on some of Rafe’s most frustrating work days. However, Rafe knew well enough that he couldn’t always be a homebody and Nathan would soon grow tired of the same routine. So, every once and awhile, Rafe would have to buck up and deal with wherever Nathan wanted to go.

Muldoon’s was Nathan’s favorite bar and Rafe was grateful that it was within walking distance, because parking on a Friday night was absolute chaos. It was different from some of the other bars around New Orleans; for starters, it was remarkably clean and that appealed to Rafe the most—he could walk into the bathroom and not feel like a three-hour shower was necessary afterward. It was spacious, yet comfortable and offered enough room to navigate without bumping into someone, even on its most crowded nights. Muldoon’s was also the choice location for Rafe and Nathan’s first public sexual outing—right there in that remarkably clean bathroom. Every time Rafe washed his hands in the sink and saw his reflection in the full-length mirror, he had flashbacks to that night when Nathan bent him over the counter and took him from behind. When they were finished, no one in the bar was privy to the goings on, even though Rafe was sure that his moans were loud enough to wake the dead.

Rafe walked into the bedroom and opened the double doors to their walk-in closet, standing before his side of the shared space. After the day he had, he wanted desperately to be out of his Valentino checked suit; he stripped down to his charcoal boxer briefs and immediately decided to shower while he was at it. In their bedroom was their own master bathroom—one of three in total—and Rafe decided early on that this one was his favorite due to the large, rectangular steam shower and a drop-in jacuzzi bathtub, both separated by nothing but a stone wall. The bathtub was installed in the corner of the bathroom, directly under a large window, which Rafe enjoyed immensely, as a night bath allowed him to see the night sky from the most comfortable position.

He ran the water in the shower and observed his reflection in the mirror, searching his face for imperfections; he was grateful that he had found a daily regimen that was beyond efficient for his skin type. As the shower finished adjusting to Rafe’s desired settings, he slid his underwear off and stepped in, feeling the warm stream of water saturate his hair and skin. As he washed and rinsed his hair, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Nathan’s hands around his waist—Rafe hadn’t even heard the shower door open and close.

Rafe opened his eyes and was surprised to see that Nathan had joined him in the shower, giving Rafe his trademarked mischievous smile. “What are you plotting?” he asked, paranoid.

Nathan pulled Rafe as close as humanly possible and kissed him, sliding his tongue between his lips and into his mouth, dancing with his boyfriend’s. Rafe turned and pushed Nathan against the stone faceted wall of the shower and pinned his wrists over his head, resuming their kiss. Nathan, feeling confident, took control and swiftly switched positions, pinning Rafe against the wall instead. Rafe moaned and Nathan accepted that as the confirmation of the right decision.

After a few moments, Rafe hesitantly backed away. “As much as I’d love to have you right now, I won’t want to leave the house if I do.”

Nathan laughed and reached behind Rafe, grabbing his body wash from the small shelf on the side of the shower. He handed it to Rafe, kissed him on the cheek and leaned against the shower wall. “I took a shower earlier, so now I have the privilege of watching you.”

Rafe laughed and continued with his shower ritual, the same routine he stuck with every time he showered. Rafe would first shampoo his hair and then immediately rinse it out so his scalp wouldn’t become too dry. Once he finished rinsing, he would massage conditioner into his hair and leave it there while he washed his body and then his favorite activated charcoal face wash. He’d then rinse his entire body, from head to toe, and then rinse once more in cold water, as he believed it would shrink his pores to prevent bacteria from entering. Nathan watched with great interest and took notice of the routine that was never broken.

Nathan turned off the water once Rafe finished and stepped out of the shower to fetch a towel from the cabinet, neglecting to bring one during his plan to surprise his boyfriend. He returned promptly and handed Rafe a towel as he dried himself off as well as the wet spots he’d tracked on the floor. Nathan went into the bedroom and dressed as Rafe finished up in the bathroom.

Rafe walked into the bedroom, his towel wrapped low around his waist, and smirked as Nathan whistled. “Have you decided on what you want to wear?”

Nathan was familiar with Rafe’s dressing habits as well—he always made a spectacle of selecting an outfit for any occasion that didn’t involve sleeping, which usually contained a complete lack of clothes. Rafe disappeared into the walk-in closet and stepped back into the bedroom holding a pair of dark-wash slim fitting jeans and an olive green polo shirt.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. “You know, you could get away with a novelty or band shirt once and awhile.”

Rafe rolled his eyes. “I only own one band shirt and it’s only in my possession because you decided to spill red wine on my Saint Laurent cardigan in Trieste.”

Nathan laughed. “It was a complete accident, and I bought you a new one, if you recall.”

“I recall you being too distracted with a massive slice of chocolate cake that a waiter crossed your field of vision with,” Rafe retorted, slipping into a fresh pair of boxer briefs, “Then, you neglected the angle of your wine glass, of which you’d most likely consumed too much.”

Nathan watched his boyfriend as he meticulously dressed himself. Unless he was putting on loungewear, Rafe made a complete ordeal out of getting dressed, but Nathan found it fascinating. Rafe had several subconscious routines and habits, from which he never deviated, and Nathan considered bringing them to his attention. He never did, though, purely out of concern that Rafe would alter his routines or stop them altogether, and Nathan absolutely cherished them.

Rafe managed to capture Nathan’s attention as if putting on clothes was an absolute art form. He slid his right leg into the appropriate side of his pants, and then the left. Rafe fastened the button and zipped the crotch of the denim, sat on the ottoman at the foot of the bed, and put on his ankle socks. He then stepped into his favorite pair of black tubular shadow sneakers and walked over to the dresser, selecting his preferred BLK DMND cologne and sprayed it across his shirtless torso in an X shape, starting from his left shoulder. Once he was satisfied with the application, he reached for his shirt, put his left arm through the sleeve, then the right arm, and lastly, his head through the collar, and pulled the shirt on. Lastly, Rafe adjusted the short sleeves, to ensure that they were not positioned too low nor too high on his toned biceps, and unfastened the top two buttons and allowed part of the collar to fold over, revealing his trimmed, and muscular chest underneath.

Nathan’s head was tilted slightly to the side as he watched Rafe with great interest, as if the act of his boyfriend dressing was watching a majestic creature in its natural habitat. Rafe noticed Nathan staring and snapped his fingers twice.

“Earth to Nate.”

Nathan blinked and glanced up at Rafe who smiled as he ran a hand through his hair. “What—what’s the matter?”

Rafe laughed. “I could ask you the same thing. Do you find me getting dressed to be absolutely fascinating?”

Nathan nodded. “Actually, yes. You’re very particular and it’s sexy.”

Rafe walked over to Nathan and tugged at the sleeve of his black thermal shirt. “You could stand to be a little particular, too, handsome,” he smirked. “Your hemline was crooked.” Rafe picked up his smartphone from the dresser and glanced at the screen. “It’s seven o’clock and I’m starting to get hungry. Shall we?”

 

* * *

 

As Nathan and Rafe turned the corner onto the main street of the neighborhood, the extravagantly sized neon sign illuminated the street in front of the bar. Rafe’s eyes narrowed as he looked ahead and noticed a queue of people outside of Muldoon’s; it wasn’t an entirely usual sight, but nor was it an ominous one. It wasn’t until they reached their destination that Rafe started to get a little anxious.

“Nate, why are all of these people here?”

Nathan looked around and noticed the chalkboard sign by the door. He tapped Rafe’s arm with the back of his hand and pointed at the sign. “Friday Night Karaoke with DJ Samedi.”

“You have got to be kidding,” Rafe groaned. “I want to shove a burger down my throat and chase it with a Heineken in peace.”

Nathan shrugged. “It probably isn’t as bad as it sounds. I’ve never known Muldoon’s to have karaoke, though.”

Rafe followed as Nathan stepped over the threshold and into the tavern, the sounds of chatter and drinkware filling the atmosphere. To Rafe’s pleasure, their favorite spot was not inherently overpopulated; in fact, it had the right amount of people to fill the emptiness, but not overcrowd and make the regular patrons miserable.

Rafe led Nathan toward the back corner of the bar, near the western wall, and took a seat on the maroon leather stool. As long as Rafe and Nathan had frequented Muldoon’s, that was their preferred sitting area, near the old vintage piano that no one ever used. It offered a modest level of privacy as people usually gathered at the front of the bar near the entrance, and it offered an excellent view for observational purposes.

Cassandra and Clayton were working tonight, the usual server and bartender, who seemed to work at Muldoon’s six nights a week. Rafe recalled coming by the bar during the early afternoon for lunch on different days over the course of a few months and only once or twice had he saw the other bartender; Cassandra and her twin brother might as well own the place at the frequency of their presence.

Nathan waved as Cassandra noticed them take their usual place and she grabbed two coasters and made her way over.

“Hello boys,” she said with her usual award-winning smile, “I take it you’ll both be getting your usual?”

Rafe laughed. “You know us too well.”

Cassandra smirked and cracked open two bottles of Heineken, setting them on the bar. “I’ll put in your order. Frankie is on the grill tonight, so it’ll be out soon.”

“Thanks, Cass,” Nathan smiled, raising his beer to her. He turned to Rafe and offered his bottle in a toast. “To us.”

“To us,” Rafe replied, smiling as their bottles clinked together, and took a hearty sip of his beer. Rafe set his beer back down on the bar and Nate gently elbowed him.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

Rafe hesitated for a moment. “I don’t know if I’ve ever told you, but these little moments with you really make me feel at peace. Every once and awhile, when we’re just next to each other, sharing each other’s company, I get this feeling of comfort somewhere deep inside me, and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”

Nathan pursed his lips and smiled humbly. “You really feel that way?”

“Of course I do,” Rafe replied, sternly, “I’m not saying it for my health—I say what I mean.”

Nathan nodded. “I know, it’s just—it means a lot to me. I’m not telling you anything new when I mention the fact that you don’t open up about your emotions easily, so I feel absolutely honored whenever you do. It’s just nice to be reminded every once and awhile that you’re truly happy with me.”

“Do you doubt my happiness?”

Nathan shrugged his shoulders, reluctant to share his current thought, but he ultimately acquiesced. “Remember that argument we had in Maine?”

Rafe pondered for a moment and raised an eyebrow. “You mean the one about my ex-boyfriend?”

Nathan nodded. “Yeah, _that_ one.”

Rafe sighed. “Nate, you know I didn’t mean—”

“Rafe, you said it.” Nathan interrupted.

“Shush, let me finish,” he retorted, with slightly more attitude than he intended, but Nathan didn’t seem to pick up on it. “I did indeed mean what I said, but I didn’t intend for it to come out the way it did. I’ve told you this before. I was just upset that you were harassing me to be open about my emotions when I wasn’t ready. I didn’t mean to compare you to him or anything like that. I just referenced the situation.”

Nathan laughed. “Well, I certainly hope you wouldn’t compare me to a cheater.”

“Absolutely not. You know, if I was my former self, I would have killed him, quite literally.”

Nathan nodded. “I know you would have, and I’m glad you’re not that kind of person anymore. It isn’t worth it. Remember that conversation we had, when—”

“When you convinced me that everything happens for a reason,” Rafe recalled, “Yes, I remember. I don’t know how I could ever forget it. It was the same night that I realized that I was in love with you.”

Nathan smiled. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”

Cassandra appeared from the kitchen, holding their orders in her hands. She set the plates down before them and passed Nathan another bottle of Heineken and poured a gin and tonic for Rafe, as usual. Rafe looked down at the gourmet burger sitting in front of him and sighed.

“Not as beautiful as this burger, Nate. Jesus Christ.” Rafe took a bite and chewed with his eyes closed, moaning in pleasure as the immense flavor profile led a tactical infiltration on his senses. “Dear God—the smoked gruyere and caramelized onions literally make this the burger of all burgers.”

Nathan laughed and watched his boyfriend basically shudder in orgasm due to the pure delight of his dinner. He observed Rafe shove a handful of fries into his mouth and follow up with a swig of beer to wash it down, continuously making sounds of pure satisfaction. Nathan did all he could to not burst with laughter and instead focused on eating his own food.

“You know, there’s this quaint little hipster place in New York that specializes in this sort of thing. It’s worth mentioning that they also have towering milkshakes.”

Rafe opened one eye and used it to glance at Nate. “If you’re talking about that restaurant in that little brick building painted black as night, forget it. I follow them on Instagram and their lines are outrageous. I’m not waiting in line for two hours for a burger.”

“Oh come on. It’s worth trying at least once.”

Rafe laughed. “Tell you what. You let me hire someone to wait in line for us, then I’ll consider it.”

Nathan shook his head. “You know, when Sam and I were kids, I would have killed to have a fraction of the money you had access to growing up—even now. And I wouldn’t have spent it on frivolous things like paying someone to stand in a queue for me.”

Rafe laughed again, slightly louder this time. “You know I don’t spend my money frivolously. It would be a mere…exception. Not like I actually would, although I’m sure a lot of people in New York would happily stand in line for $50. Lord knows you need serious money to survive in that city—every bit helps.”

“What, are you considering that to be charitable?” Nathan chuckled.

Rafe shrugged his shoulders. “All I’m saying is that New York isn’t the cheapest place to live—which, granted, I do not understand—and if I weren’t rich and someone offered me $50 to stand in line for them and I had nothing better to do, I’d do it.”

“What don’t you understand about New York being expensive?”

Rafe put down his beer and cleared his throat. “Well, it’s New York. It’s just a ridiculously busy city that always smells like cat piss and fried food. It costs more to live in New York than it does to live in the south of France and at least it smells better and there’s less people of an annoying capacity.”

Nathan smirked. “You have a flat in London and you’re complaining about New York?”

“I’ll have you know that my flat in London costs less than a studio apartment in New York and it’s significantly larger. It’s also important to mention that London doesn’t smell bad—it doesn’t even have a smell, and there aren’t nearly as many people traipsing around town.”

“Look, all I’m saying is…” Nathan glanced toward the door. “Oh Jesus Christ.”

“What?” Rafe asked, finishing his burger. “What’s the matter with you?”

Nathan lowered his head. “Look who just walked in.”

Rafe looked toward the door and narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the features of the person in question in the dimly light bar. Rafe growled slightly when he figured it out. “Fuck me.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I am tired. I promised that part two would come sooner and while it did, it wasn't as soon as I wanted, but I am beyond happy with how it turned out. It took a lot of planning, drafting, and edits, but the final version is finally finished! Plus, maaaybe Rafe does karaoke. Enjoy!

 “What the fuck is he doing here?” Rafe whispered, aggravated. Nathan didn’t speak a word—he kept his head down as he ate and reluctantly glanced at Rafe a couple of times, unwilling to make eye contact. “What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing,” he replied, coldly. “I’m just trying to be invisible right now.”

Nathan looked up and watched as Rafe’s ex-boyfriend moved closer to the bar, talking to a few people as he made his way to the counter opposite him. He didn’t seem interested in scoping out the venue, nor did he notice Nate and Rafe sitting fifteen feet away; if he had, he made no indication of it.

“Do you want to leave?”

Nathan shook his head. “No, I want to be here with you, in peace.”

Rafe sighed. “Okay, then. Just ignore him if he comes over here.”

Nathan watched as Rafe downed his drink and finished the last of his burger, adjusting his position on the stool. Nathan noticed he was fidgeting and only did that when he was supremely uncomfortable—Rafe wanted to leave. He nudged Rafe and nodded once, offering a half-smile.

Rafe subtly got Cassandra’s attention and handed her his credit card. “Leaving so soon?”

“Someone I want to avoid just walked in,” he said quietly.

Cassandra nodded and made a point to quickly ring the transaction on the register and return the credit card to her favorite patron. As Rafe took his card back, he glanced over Cassandra’s shoulder and noticed his ex-boyfriend was looking right at him.

“Goddamn it,” Rafe growled without moving his lips. He pretended not to notice and stood from the bar, tugging Nathan’s shirt. “Let’s go. Now.”

Nathan stood and followed Rafe toward the bar, trying not to burn himself on the trail of fire that his boyfriend was leaving behind. Rafe essentially powerwalked to the door and turned the corner with Nathan following closely. Rafe sighed and took in the crisp night air.

“Awkward.”

Rafe laughed. “Yeah, well at least he didn’t speak to us. I’m just a little frustrated that our date night’s been ruined.”

Nathan shrugged his shoulders. “It’s early enough to salvage it; plus, I have an idea.”

Rafe looked in the direction Nathan was pointing and saw the bar down the street renowned for their karaoke Fridays. Rafe scoffed. “No. Absolutely not. If you think I’m going to indulge in karaoke, you have lost your mind.”

Nathan laughed. “It was your ex-boyfriend that appeared out of the blue and ruined our original plans, so now I get to decide what we do.” Rafe shot him a sharp glare and Nathan immediately regretted speaking. “You don’t have to sing. I just figured it’d be a decent place to grab a drink and chill out in the back of the bar.”

Rafe sighed. “Fine. It might just make the rest of the night salvageable after all.”

It wasn’t an inherently awful bar, but was significantly more populated than Rafe preferred and his mood went from sour to worse as he navigated through the venue, trying to avoid being bumped into by careless drunks and dancers. The Black Baron was well known for two things: strong drinks and weak karaoke, but that didn’t stop regular patrons from indulging on a weekly basis.

Nathan had never heard Rafe sing before and Rafe made a point to only sing in the shower when Nathan wasn’t home. While Rafe was in Scotland searching for leads on Avery’s treasure, he spent a lot of time alone in his makeshift office, plotting strategies and singing once and awhile. He never once discovered some of his mercenaries camped outside of his door to listen, as they always managed to jump up and run for the hills at the sounds of Rafe’s footsteps.

Rafe ran a hand through his hair as he and Nathan arrived at the back of the bar and claimed the two leather barstools in the corner. The bartender nodded to acknowledge their presence and finished making a fish bowl for another patron. He walked over and wiped his hands on a rag in his front pocket.

“What can I get you two?”

Nathan leaned forward. “Two gin and tonics, please.”

Rafe raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you drink gin?”

Nathan smiled. “Since I met you. I don’t drink it in front of you, but I’ve learned to appreciate it. Obviously not in the same capacity as you. You haven’t noticed that we’ve sometimes run out of the London dry quicker than usual?”

Rafe shrugged. “I just thought I’d been drinking too much.”

Nathan cackled and covered his mouth with a fist. “I’m sorry. I’m just picturing you being momentarily confused over near-empty bottles and shrugging it off.”

“It’s not funny. I’ve been going to the liquor store twice a week because of you.”

Rafe paid the bartender and sipped his drink. He heard Nathan mutter something about knowing someone and jetted off toward the front of the bar. Rafe watched the bartender with great interest as he juggled bottles of vodka and orange juice with precision. Nathan reappeared out of nowhere and slid in a quick apology to Rafe before sliding him his drink. “You’re going to need this.”

“What the fuck? What did you do?”

Rafe’s eyes narrowed as the DJ’s voice bellowed over the speakers. “Up next, we have a newcomer to The Black Baron’s karaoke nights; performing for the first time, Rafe Adler!”

Rafe glared at Nathan with fury and confusion as the audience of the bar roared in applause and looked around. “What the fuck, Nate? Wh—why would you do that?”

Nathan stood up and pushed Rafe toward the front of the bar. “I’m getting you out of your shell.” Rafe tried his best to fight against him without making a spectacle of himself, holding a drink in both hands, but to no avail.

Rafe stood in the front of the bar near the karaoke machine, nestled in the west corner. Nathan hopped up on the barstool nearby and smiled. He knew that Rafe was angry, but something told him that all would be forgiven once he realizes how much fun he’ll actually have. Rafe looked at the screen and saw the song that Nathan picked for him and laughed. He walked over to the DJ and whispered in his ear, requesting him to change the song.

Nathan looked confused, but Rafe simply smiled and leaned close to him. “You want a show? I’ll give you a show.” He downed both drinks and handed the empty glasses to Nathan, who set them on the bar behind him.

One of the guys leaning against the bar nudged his shoulder. “You know him?”

Nathan smirked. “That’s my boyfriend.”

The stranger pursed his lips and nodded. “Dude’s badass.”

Nathan smiled and joined as the audience roared the moment Rafe stood behind the microphone stand. Rafe looked over at the DJ and nodded, ready for his debut performance. He didn’t notice his ex-boyfriend walk in and move to the side of the bar. Nathan’s eyes widened and hoped that Rafe wouldn’t notice his presence.

As the song started, the familiar sound of an intro guitar made Nathan raise an eyebrow. “Oh my God.”

Rafe held the microphone in one hand and ran a hand through his hair.

 _Hey, hey_  
I let you walk all over me, me  
You know that I’m a little tease, tease  
But I want it pretty please, please

_You know, you know, you know_   
_I’m crazy_   
_But I just wanna be your baby_   
_You can fuck me, you can play me_   
_You can love me, you can hate me_   
_Miss me, miss me, now you wanna kiss me_

_Choke me, ‘cause I said so_   
_Stroke me and feed my ego_   
_I’ve been a bad boy, don’t you know_   
_Come get it now or never_   
_I’ll let you do whatever_   
_I’ll be your bad boy, here we go_

The audience roared as Rafe performed, his sensual and gritty voice radiating through the speakers in the bar. He danced slightly as he sang, moving his shoulders and subtly swaying. As the next verse came up, he took the microphone off the stand and moved close to Nathan, his boyfriend’s cheeks flushing a shade of red, feeling every pair of eyes in the bar fall on them.

Rafe used his knee to spread Nathan’s legs apart and stood in between them, causing whistles and giggles to be heard from the crowd.

_Baby_   
_You know I want a little taste, taste_   
_So let me take you all the way, way_   
_You know you’ll never be the same, same_

Rafe pulled Nathan’s shirt and cocked his head back before pressing their foreheads together and running a hand through his boyfriend’s hair.

_One night_   
_You won’t forget the rest of your life_   
_So come on over to the wild side_   
_Buckle up, baby hold on tight_   
_Miss me, miss me, now you wanna kiss me_   
_We both know that you love be ‘cause I’m so bad_

 Rafe continued his performance back at the front of the karaoke stage, doing his best to sing over the sounds of cheering and whistling. When he finished, the audience bellowed and cheered and clapped; Rafe earned himself a standing ovation that took at least four whole minutes to simmer. Rafe walked over to Nathan and smiled, playfully punching him in the arm. Nathan’s eyes wandered for a moment as Rafe’s ex-boyfriend walked out of the bar, respectfully giving Nathan a thumbs up. Nathan ignored the gesture and turned back to Rafe who was looking over his shoulder to see what Nathan was staring at.

Rafe and Nathan enjoyed their night at the bar, with free drinks and patrons pleading Rafe for an encore. “Maybe next week,” Rafe laughed.

As the bar started to die down and the night grew old, Rafe and Nathan decided to head home. On their walk back, Nathan put his hands in his pockets and nudged Rafe.

“What’s up?”

“I was just wondering,” Nathan began, “If you’re in the mood to show me the wild side tonight.”

Rafe smirked. “One night you won’t forget the rest of your life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Karaoke Rafe!


End file.
